From 20-24 October, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) CT PHARE team convened a Training of Trainers (ToT) on the Human Rights-based Decision-Making Model (DMM) for counter-terrorism operations, organised in partnership with the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) and convened at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was the second ToT implemented by the IIJ under the CT PHARE facility, following the first one implemented in collaboration with the Secretariat General of the Arabic Interior Ministers Council during April 2025 in Tunisia.
The five-day training brought together senior security and police trainers from across West and East Africa, specifically from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. All participants were already familiar with the DMM, having taken part in an initial capacity-building activity organised in Côte d’Ivoire for the Francophone countries (April 2024) and in Tanzania for the Anglophone countries (May 2024).
Opening and closing remarks were held at the Headquarters of the African Union and were delivered by Dr. Anna Lixi, Head of the Governance and Peace Sector of the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia; Mr. Elias Benyu, Training Specialist at the AUCTC; and Mr. Paul Madden, IIJ CT PHARE Project Lead. For the closing, we were delighted to welcome Mr. Christoph Pelzer, Programme and Policy Officer Peace & Security at the EU Delegation to the African Union. It was an honour for the IIJ CT PHARE team to convene this activity at such a distinguished institution, reinforcing the strong partnership between the IIJ, the AUCTC, the AU and the EU.
The programme combined theoretical presentations, practical case studies raised by both trainers and participants, simulations, and group discussions to ensure participants can apply the Human Rights-based Decision-Making Model in real-world counter-terrorism scenarios. The training aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of the DMM, enhance their ability to train others in human rights-based decision-making, and strengthen decision-making capacities that respect international human rights standards and the rule of law. Special attention was given to gender considerations and vulnerable populations, enabling participants to integrate these perspectives into both operational decision-making and peer training.
Equipped with these skills, participants should be prepared to deliver DMM training in their countries, implement policies that promote human rights, and demonstrate decision-making that safeguards human rights in counter-terrorism operations. Beyond individual capacity-building, the ToT aimed to foster knowledge-sharing among practitioners and build a sustainable regional network of trainers, reinforce collaboration and support the ongoing promotion of human rights-focused counter-terrorism practices in these countries.
Experts from the IIJ, AUCTC, and other partner organisations provided support throughout the program. The IIJ stands ready to explore options for assisting national security and police academies in continuing engagement on the application of the Human Rights-based Decision- Making Model in Counter-terrorism and Crisis Management should requests be received.